


From Within These Walls

by Kemurikat



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Friendship/Love, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-14
Updated: 2012-06-14
Packaged: 2017-11-07 18:36:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/434138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kemurikat/pseuds/Kemurikat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An imagined glimpse into the complex world of the Volturi where the secretive Sulpicia takes center stage. One-shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Within These Walls

**Author's Note:**

> Also, not sure when, (so don't anybody hold their breath xD), I've been meaning to do a story on the Volturi and their histories as a supplement to the events I've set in motion writing my crossover fic 'Vulcan Twilight.' There's no doubt my choice of actors and actresses would raise some eyebrows, and many of the names above will certainly return for repeat performances.  
> This fic was inspired by Carlisle's finding 'civilized' vampires in the 1720's during his visit to Italy.  
> I've recently been fascinated by the Volturi and their seemingly complex nest of members. The bit of back-story on Didyme was the catalyst. It's an explosive tragedy that would inevitably result in a devastating civil war if Marcus ever found out the truth about the death of his beloved wife. (evil grin)  
> My thanks to everyone's who's read my stories and I sincerely hope they've provided you with some entertainment.  
> Cheers!
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer:  
> All Twilight characters - you all know who they are - belong to author, Stephanie Meyer. The rest, namely Artemisia, Akane, and Sigrun, belong to me. ^_^

  
[ ](http://orig07.deviantart.net/e0cd/f/2015/138/a/e/from_within_these_walls_by_kemurikat-d8twgot.png)  


 

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He came to them as a curious young nobleman from the British Isles on his Grand Tour of the Italian countryside. From a distance, he first appeared like a well-dressed meal, alone and easy to capture by the obvious expression of wide-eyed fascination that graced his handsome features. But as he drew nearer and spoke the customary introductions, what surprised the Volturi most about the cultured outsider was the color of his vampire eyes!

After he had revealed to them the nature of what he was, a vampire with absolutely _no_ desire to ever drink human blood, the Volturi were appalled with disbelief. Even the normally disinterested Marcus had somehow surfaced from his centuries of numb detachment to hold historical periods of conversation with him. Thus the British nobleman's presence could only be described as a bolt of rejuvenation within the walls of Volterra, and oddly enough, most of its denizens welcomed the change with open arms and eager smiles.

Eventually, the British nobleman became an inseparable companion to Marcus, Aro, and Caius, the three Volturi leaders; the four of them often seen engaging in spirited debates over a wide variety of subjects. Solimena, the Volturi court painter at the time - also fond of the British nobleman - painted several portraits of him included with the ancient trio, others with elite members of the Volturi guard and even a few with the normally secretive, high-ranking wives.

But there came a time when the British nobleman grew weary of the constant tirades from members of the Volturi pressuring him to alter his 'unnatural' aversion to drinking human blood - which was the natural food source of _any_ vampire. And it wasn't long before whispers of his departure were inevitable.

With great reluctance, Aro watched from a window in his private chambers the slowly retreating form of the British nobleman, Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Despite his best efforts, he failed to persuade the vampire nobleman to remain behind, and though he was intensely tempted to use Chelsea to cage him on more than one occasion, in the end, he found himself - remarkably - unable to do so.

"A _splendid_ example of a nobleman despite his humble birthright," Sulpicia said from behind Aro and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Indeed, he would have made a wonderful addition to our ranks."

"Yes, he would have," Aro said distantly, patting the hand Sulpicia placed on his shoulder. "Alas, Carlisle is a tremendous loss to our kind with his bizarre refusal to drink human blood and the like." He shook his head. "Despite his odd qualities, I would have preferred that he stayed, if only to keep Marcus from returning to his lamentable state as an apathetic bag of sand."

"Didyme was a devastating loss for all of us, and even more so for Marcus," Sulpicia replied softly. "You, of all people, should know this."

He turned around and held her hand, forcing a smile. "Of course." Aro then bent and gave his wife's pale hand a quick kiss. "She was my _sister_ , after all."

Something in her husband's eyes prompted Sulpicia to change the subject.

"A tremendous shock, wasn't it, for all of us," she began on a lighter note, "when Marcus _stood_ from the banquet table to personally welcome Carlisle, and to be the first of us to request that he extend his stay." She illustrated her tale with movements of her hands.

"Quite true," Aro said with a wistful smile, recalling the event in his mind. "What amused me the most was Caius' reaction. I think his mouth remained open during the entire spectacle."

As they laughed together, Sulpicia savored the moment, and in the back of her mind, mused over the length of time when they had last done so. When she realized how long it truly had been, it saddened her.

A presence at the threshold of the chamber's wide open double-doors caught their attention.

"Please forgive me for the interruption," Renata said meekly. "I have a missive addressed to Lord Aro from Sir Cullen. He instructed me to deliver it once he had departed."

In the brief period of time that Carlisle had been a guest with the Volturi, (if you call nearly a hundred years, _brief)_ he had left a significant impression on many of its members, most of whom wisely kept that fact to themselves.

Rising quickly to his feet, Aro took the folded pages of parchment from Renata and dismissed her with a curt wave of his hand.

Without hesitation, knowing her husband's need for privacy, Sulpicia rose in one fluid movement and left, closing the bedroom's double-doors behind her. She heard the short snap of a wax seal as she drifted down the hall.

"My Lady," Renata whispered, emerging from a shadowed area of the corridor and treading briskly beside her, clutching a small package securely in her arms.

Without breaking stride, Sulpicia continued down the hall at a much faster pace, materializing with her companion in front of a guarded chamber located in a disused wing of the Palazzo dei Priori. A subtle downward movement of her fiery pupils prompted the young vampire sentry to glance away submissively, stepping aside to allow them entrance, and resuming his post once the heavy door was bolted shut from the inside. It was in the sanctity of this unoccupied chamber that Sulpicia finally accepted the small, wrapped package from Renata with a sigh, as she measuredly made her way toward a cushioned Roman daybed. The moment she sat down, the chamber's interior was lit instantly with candlelight, the heavily embroidered satin curtains drawn carefully over every window. Sulpicia pursed her lips when she allowed her eyes a moment to scan her surroundings. Every item and piece of furniture inside the chamber was reverently preserved and in immaculate condition, her personal memorial to a cherished member of the Volturi who had perished many centuries ago during their war with a powerful coven in Romania. The unbeating heart within her chest, long since turned to dust, never failed to ache with renewed anguish over Didyme's loss, her eyes shutting reflexively against the onslaught. Renata sat quietly on the floor at her feet and waited patiently for her to compose herself.

"Alas, child, had you known our Didyme, you would have loved her as we all did," Sulpicia said gently, stroking the length of Renata's hair. She then settled back onto the daybed, curling her body against the many pillows and watched her handmaiden tear open the decorated paper wrapping of Carlisle's package. He had left her a letter, and two, black, 8x8-sized satchels. Rather than a wax seal, her letter was bound with a red, silk ribbon. Smiling, Sulpicia unraveled the ribbon and unhurriedly read the first of her twelve-page letter.

Renata contented herself by watching Sulpicia's reactions while she read, glancing constantly toward the two satchels, their contents well-protected by oil-treated leather. Her fingers traced the worn, weathered patterns left behind by the satchels' former owner, his distinctive scent still lingering strongly - one of the more prominent traits that set Carlisle apart from the vampire majority.

Sniffing her fingertips, Renata closed her eyes, concentrated, and began to employ one of the techniques that Corin had taught her. She dissected the scent in her mind, breaking apart what was flora, fauna and human. Yet a novice, identifying the many complexities of a scent took considerably longer for her to accomplish compared to Corin, a very short period of time for more experienced members of the Volturi guard, and instantaneously for their premier tracker, Demetri.

Unaware of how long she sat unmoving, Renata opened her eyes and was startled to find Sulpicia smiling down on her, Carlisle's letter stacked neatly on her lap.

"What had you so delightfully distracted?" Sulpicia asked curiously.

"I was practicing. Corin's been teaching me the skills of a tracker. But I'm afraid I'm failing rather miserably," Renata said, slightly embarrassed. "It takes me far too long to identify anything, and once I do, I only have a quarter of what he's found. I'm fortunate that he's an extremely patient teacher."

"Sadly, I can't say the same for Santiago when he was instructing me on the finer points of scent trace, once upon a time," Sulpicia remarked. "Make no mistake, he's a an excellent teacher...but severely lacking in patience."

The two tittered quietly as Sulpicia set Carlisle's letter aside, eagerly unbuckling the belts that held both leather satchels closed when they were presented to her by Renata. She gasped softly when each satchel produced two 7x7 leather-bound journals, each Sulpicia knew quite well because they were her favorites. Two of the many in a series that Carlisle carried with him during his travels.

"What a dear, thoughtful man," Sulpicia said, clearly touched, as she leafed carefully through the first journal, each page containing a sample of a pressed rose. "Carlisle had the patience to catalogue every known species of rose in Europe."

"And what's in this one?" Renata asked, pointing to the second journal.

"Carlisle's trip to Africa," Sulpicia answered, marveling at the numerous detailed sketches of various creatures with corresponding samples of gossamer wings, feathers or preserved animal hide he'd collected by bartering with the local tribesmen. "Quite the adventurer." There was a look of intense longing that Renata caught.

"Then you should see it."

"See what?"

"Africa. Ask Lord Aro to allow you passage to Africa."

"Dear child, it's not that simple," Sulpicia said in amusement. "As much as it would thrill me to see other places and seek adventure as Carlisle has, sadly, these walls would miss me terribly if I should leave."

The cryptic words and unfathomable expression on Sulpicia's face puzzled Renata.

"Would you, please, hide these items away inside my chest in the floor?" Sulpicia said, handing Renata the two 7x7 notebooks and refolding Carlisle's letter, which she tucked between the pages of the European Rose Journal.

A knock on the chamber's door prompted Sulpicia to help Renata quickly hide away Carlisle's presents to her.

"My Lady? It's Corin."

"You may enter," Sulpicia said swiftly.

Visibly delighted, Renata admitted Corin into the chamber. She was dressed in traveling clothes.

"Lord Caius and Lady Athenodora have summoned me to accompany them to Florence," Corin reported. "I'll be among the guard they've selected."

"Have they now?" Sulpicia said, amused. "I'm surprised they convinced Aro to part with you."

"It was I who _insisted_ that I be included in their entourage," Corin said, clearing her throat and mildly annoyed at Sulpicia's smug expression. "His Lordship has been rather...amorous of late. Therefore, an interval without his presence is something that I've sorely needed." She was clearly uncomfortable with her statement...or was it embarrassment?

"Well then, you must prepare yourself for his _full_ attention the moment you return," Sulpicia said with a sly smile, fully aware of her husband's pursuit of the spunky young vampire. "Absence _does_ make the heart grow fonder."

Mumbling a string of curses, Corin sighed and replied, "I'll try to remember that."

"That aside, has Carlisle given you anything?" Sulpicia asked curiously.

"Yes. He's left me a letter and one of his journals. He has also written letters to many others within the coven," Corin said. "Here are their names, as you requested."

Once Sulpicia read the list, she casually held the piece of paper above a candle flame and watched the paper turn to ash. "Send my gratitude to Artemisia and summon Akane to this chamber after she's seen to you. You may go."

Corin bowed respectfully low to her Ladyship, then nodded to Renata.

"Be careful," she said, accompanied by one of her radiant smiles.

"Always," Corin replied, winking playfully. "Be well till I return, little sister."

With a flutter of air and the metal clank of their chamber door, she departed.

At that moment, Sulpicia gathered writing implements and proceeded to scribble her thoughts into the pages of an oversized journal - one of innumerable such diaries signed and dated by her over the centuries that were hidden, buried and scattered throughout Volterra. (A few of which she'd given to Carlisle for safekeeping.)

Her first diary began as a form of therapy to help her cope with the loss of Didyme. It then turned into a hobby, a welcome form of release. Over time, her diary-keeping developed into a detailed chronicle of events depicting significant periods of Volturi life and her reflections on them.

Regrettably, before she and Renata left the warmth of her personal sanctuary, the overall magnitude and accomplishment of her meticulously written diaries would vanish from all recollection. A small sacrifice for her subterfuge.

"That's that," Sulpicia said, carefully closing her oversized journal and lacing the cover closed. "Another volume done. Onto another when it's needed."

After helping Renata bind the book inside a waterproof wrap, she held the tome in her arms, whispered a silent prayer of protection and surrendered it to her handmaiden.

"Santiago will know what to do. Be sure Akane is with you when you deliver it."

"As you instruct, my Lady," Renata answered obediently.

Upon the arrival of Akane - one of Sulpicia's hand-picked dozen from the Volturi guard who were fiercely loyal to her from the beginning - she sat herself on the Roman daybed and waited.

Akane stood over her and after a series of gentle hand gestures over her eyes, across her forehead and along her temples, placed Sulpicia in a form of sleep-trance. Though she remained seated upright, her features had drifted to a place of untroubled calm, her body weightless and tranquil.

"Come, we must hurry," Akane said to Renata.

Cleverly concealing the bound notebook under her cloak, Akane left the chamber with Renata closely behind her.

Blinking twice to clear the momentary fog in her mind, Sulpicia stood and left the guarded chamber. She meandered through the many corridors and archways of the Palazzo dei Priori that now served as Volturi living quarters these recent centuries after the destruction of their original fortress by invading hordes. Eventually, Sulpicia found herself in the small chapel that Didyme once favored. It was a silent, peaceful place where Aro's younger sister often read a book or used it as a refuge from the politics of her older brother's ambitions. She sat herself in the exact spot where Didyme once sat, remembering that the young woman's pretty face never failed to radiate a wonderfully contagious smile. But Sulpicia's fond reminiscence stopped abruptly as she inwardly sighed. She was no longer alone.

"Is there something you want of me, Sigrun?"

A soft laugh like the patter of spring rain on smooth stone echoed within the empty chapel.

"Santiago taught you well."

"I've had a fairly decent go of his teachings," Sulpicia replied dismissively.

"I've yet to fool you."

"It will take more than the mimicry of Athenodora's footfalls to mislead me," Aro's wife replied, refusing to turn her head.

"Apparently so."

Sulpicia stood up, walking languidly toward the chapel's front row of wooden pews and sat down. She kept her head forward, watching the delicate rays of sunshine that streamed through gaps in the stained glass windows which crisscrossed around a large, gilded wine cup carefully centered atop the marble altar of the chapel. She found the many reflections of sunlight on the polished gold surface of the cup quite beautiful.

"What a _strange_ vampire, that Carlisle Cullen," Sigrun spoke again. "I can't believe he's training to be a _doctor_ , of all things! His very existence defies convention."

"And these walls shall miss him. Carlisle made quite an impression during his stay here," Sulpicia commented.

"His freakish abnormalities intrigue you?" Sigrun declared in surprise.

"Why should they not? I find him absolutely refreshing. He's the finest example of a phenomenon that those of us in our endless immortal lifespan hope to witness."

"I see."

"Do you?" Sulpicia countered in amusement. "The winds of change can only bring disaster to the Volturi."

"My lady, I urge you refrain from saying such blasphemous statements out loud," Sigrun warned.

Sulpicia's tinkling laughter filled the chapel. "Blasphemous, indeed! Hmm...perhaps I should repeat myself shortly to Aro."

"Such recklessness!" Sigrun exclaimed, her mouth partly open. "Have you grown tired of your immortality, my lady? Do you now spend your days longing for death?"

"Keep your voice down," Sulpicia commanded, smiling to herself when the woman behind her sputtered indignantly. "Your petty assumptions concerning my well-being are dully noted and ignored. I care not what the arrogant children that wander under this roof deign to think of me. Also, I'm feeling rather generous, Sigrun, so listen carefully to this bit of advice," she said and paused for effect. "The minute you think you've come to understand what's happening around you within these walls, is the day you find your head torn free from your shoulders."

There was a loud hiss from Sigrun behind her, then silence.

Now alone in the chapel, Sulpicia resumed her private musing as she watched the vibrant patterns formed by the refraction of light on the polished golden goblet that sat in its solitary place upon the marble altar.

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~~~ End One-Shot ~~~

  


[ ](http://orig00.deviantart.net/0bb9/f/2015/138/5/1/fwtw_by_kemurikat-d8twh6d.png)


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